Major cities see violent crime surge as national rates plummet significantly in 2025: survey
Violent crime declined nationwide in 2025, but a new survey shows several U.S. cities moving in the opposite direction, reporting increases in homicides, rapes, robberies or aggravated assaults even as the national trend improved.
A survey from the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) covers violent crime reporting between January and September 2025 and the same period in 2024. The survey tracked four categories: homicide, rape or sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault.
The survey found that total violent crime nationwide decreased compared with the same period in 2024 across all four key categories:
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The association cautioned that the numbers are preliminary and based on voluntary reporting by participating law enforcement agencies.
Here’s a list of cities and metropolitan areas where violent crime rose locally despite a nationwide decline.
Omaha reported increases in all four violent crime categories; homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, according to MCCA data.
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Atlanta saw year-over-year increases in rape, robbery and aggravated assault, bucking national declines across those categories.
Columbus reported increases in robbery and aggravated assault, even as both crimes fell nationally.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported increases in rape and aggravated assault from 2024 into 2025, according to preliminary data from the MCCA survey.
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Tampa recorded increases in rape and robbery, two categories that declined nationwide during the same period.
The suburban county east of New York City reported increases in homicide and robbery.
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Wichita saw year-over-year increases in homicide and rape, reversing the national trend in both categories.
Pittsburgh reported increases in rape and aggravated assault, while other violent crime categories declined.
Denver recorded an increase in rape, according to the MCCA.
Philadelphia saw a rise in rape, even as national violent crime totals continued to decline.
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Violent crime is trending downward in major U.S. cities as President Donald Trump continues to focus federal attention on combating violent crime.
The administration has launched crime operations in cities across America, including Washington, D.C., where he first deployed the National Guard to assist local police earlier this year.